Apparition
by PerfectParadox
Summary: A girl wanders into the midst of the ka-tet, only to aggravate Rolands re-opened wounds. But maybe, just maybe, she might be able to offer a bit of comfort.(Takes place after Wizard and Glass).


-Alright...this is just a little fic I wrote that takes place right after the fourth book. I haven't read the fifth yet...so...yeah. Anyways, here it is.  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of King's characters...although their all pretty damn cool   
  
The ka-tet had nearly used up all of their light before they stopped for the night. Eddie and Jake had no trouble finding wood, as it had been plentiful throughout the days walk. It wasn't long before a fire had been kindled and the small company had gathered around it's crackling flames.  
  
Eddie's internal clock had been right. It had been early afternoon when they set out. The hazy light had remained steady, but after it began to dim, night had set upon them quickly. Not a voice was heard that day, and they ate their meal in the same manner. All sat around, mesmerized by the flames dancing as they consumed the wood that fed them. Roland sat, brooding by himself, his pale blue eyes staring into nothing. The only sign of life he showed was the small puffs of steam that issued from his nostrils with each exhale. Susannah had eased herself from her chair into Eddie's arms. The couple now sat huddled against each other for warmth in a reasonably romantic setting for their situation. Jack picked at a cookie from his knapsack, braking off a piece every now and then and handing it to Oy, who happily gobble it up.  
  
Of the whole group, the billy-bumbler was the only one to seem unaffected by the events of the past few hours. However, none, save Oy himself, were aware of the approaching presence. He got up and trotted to the edge of the circle cast by the fire-light. Here, he stopped, stretching his long neck out and whining quietly. His cries went unheeded by everyone save Jake, who merely sleepily called the bumbler back to him. Oy reluctantly obeyed and sat stiffly in the boys arms, his large golden eyes still staring into the darkness.  
  
It was Susannah who first heard the quiet footsteps, or, perhaps, she sensed something unfamiliar. She sat up, a strong arm pushing her body away from her beloved. Her eyes stared into the same dark place that Oy's still did. Eddie gazed in the same direction and would have asked what it was if he had not been silenced by one of her dark fingers on his lips. Jake quickly caught on through his fatigue that something was amiss. Roland of Gilead was the last to take notice of the change.  
  
In a matter of seconds, the quiet crunching of boots upon frosted grass could clearly be heard. Three hands went similtaneously to their respective belts, and each grasped a fire-arm. Jake's eyes were wide with fear and his mind raced from place to place, trying to predict what new horror approached. It was Eddie's voice that broke the dreadful silence. "Who's there?" The words sounded flat and frightened in the chill night air. Silence fell once more, however brief it was.  
  
"Relax gunslingers, if gunslingers ye truly be." The voice was feminine in nature, and musical to the ear. "If I was here to kill ye, kill ye I would have done already." Again the grass crunched beneath light steps and a figure stepped into the edge of the light.  
  
Four pairs of eyes widened then, each of the ka-tet, the billy- bumbler being the exception. But none were widened so much as those of Roland. That which stepped into their midst seemed to be a ghost, an apparition. For all knew immediately that this is what the late Susan Delagado had looked like. It seemed like hours that those eyes stared at the stranger that was not. Her grey-blue eyes stared calmly back. In the end, it was Oy who saved them. He had unknowingly squirmed from Jake's arms and made his way over to the girl boots, calmly sniffing at them before barking sharply in greeting, his non-existent tail wagging back and forth enthusiasticly.  
  
The rest of the ka-tet seemed to come to it's senses, snapping back to reality. Roland's surprised eyes immediately shifted back to an impenatrable, emotionless wall, and he called out to her. "Aye, gunslingers we be. Long days and pleasant nights." His tone was polite, but probably only out of habit or obligation instead of any kindness.  
  
A mile played on her lips. "An may you have twice the number." She didn't curtsey, but offered a curt nod to them. The billy-bumbler backed impatiently, rump still waggling, and she bent down to scratch him behind the ear before stepping nearer to the fire and seating herself within their circle.  
  
'No...not Susan,' Roland thought. The girl stood her height, shared her form and mayhap even had the same face, although it was distorted now by the camp-fire. It washer hair that had fooled him. The long golden locks that hung loose around her face and to her waist might have been a wig made from Susan's own tresses. 'No, those aren't her eyes.' Looking at them, Roland saw nothing of Susan within.  
  
Reason is what won over the rest of the ka-tet. There was no way this could be Susan. First of all, Susan Delagado, however unfortunate, was dead. Second of all, if Susan did still live she would have been much older than this girl that looked to be not a day over 17. The resemblance, however, was uncanny, not that surprise would have been so abundant if Susan stood before them. Stranger things had happened to them all.  
  
It was Jake who then spoke to her, warily and blunt. "What're you doing here?"  
  
"Ere." The billy-bumbler echoed.  
  
A melodious laugh emitted from her throat. "As you might have guessed, travelers are mighty rare here. One pines for a bit of company now and then."  
  
"You mean you live here?" Eddie spoke up.  
  
The girl cocked her head slightly to the side. "I live where it pleases me. At the moment, I choose to make my home in the general vacinity." A wave of her indicated the surrounding lands.  
  
Susannah spoke next. "Excuse me, before we go any further. Who are you?" It was only the polite thing to do. It might have been a bit left over from Odetta, but it only made sense to her to introduce oneself before getting too far into a conversation.  
  
The girls eyes twinkled and her teeth flashed briefly in a broad smile. "You may call me Alyssa. But what's in a name, a rose by and other would smell as sweet..."  
  
All eyes turned to Alyssa no. Susannah and Jake recognized the phrase from Romeo and Juliette, but all minds were brought to attention at the referance to the rose. They met the same cool, grey stare. A small light seemed to illuminate her eyes, but that could've just been the light of the flames.  
  
Susannah seemed best at keeping her head and managed to nod slowly. "You can call me Susannah."  
  
Eddie gave a curt not. "Eddie," he offered.  
  
Jake now smiled cautiously at her. "I'm Jake...and this is Oy." He indicated himself and then the billy-bumbler.  
  
All eyes turned then to Roland, who seemed to be staring off into space and not paying attention at all. In truth, his thoughts had turned to Susan once more, and a slightly pained expression showed on his face. He couldn't help but think of her each time he laid eyes on the girl.  
  
"Please forgive my friend, he doesn't mean to be rude, he just-"Eddie was about to crack a joke about Roland not being all there, but was cut off by the gunslingers voice.  
  
"Roland...I am Roland of Gilead."  
  
"Well, Roland, if ye don't mind, I shall just sit here and enjoy the company of humans." Her grey eyes stared into his icy blue orbs. Such tension could be felt between the two, no one would have been too surprised if a bolt of electricity spanned the space between them.  
  
Jake stared sleepily into the fire and yawned. It was Eddie who then broke the distraught silence. "Well, as nice as it was to have met you Alyssa, I must be off to bed. I'm sure my buddy Jake would agree." He clapped the boy on the back.  
  
Jack looked up, tired circles underneath his eyes. "I'm not sleepy!" he protested just as a child would be expected to.  
  
Eddie stood and lifted Susannah from the ground, settling her on his hip. "G'night." He said, offering a curt nod.  
  
"Nice meeting you" Susannah said before they both moved away from the fire, settling themselves in the soft grass. Despite Jakes earlier comment, he soon settled down as well, the billy-bumbler curled up ad his side and tucked beneath his arm. His breathing soon slowed and shallowed as he drifted into sleep.  
  
The uncomfortable silence returned once more. Alyssa sat with her legs tucked beneath her staring into the fire, her expression that of peace. Toland studied her face, recalling Susan in every line and curve. Seeing his beloved in everything but those gray eyes. "I'm sorry." She blurted out, offering no explanation for the out of place words.  
  
Roland's thin lips turned down at the corners. "Sorry? Sorry for what?" his confusion was not entirely real. He wouldn't be surprised if she knew everything. About Susan and him and all that happened so long ago. He half expected her to know, half wanted it to be. Anything to make this girl closer to being the one he had loved.  
  
Her face turned to him now, and again Roland came to the harsh reality that the eyes he met were certainly not those of his former love. He had a feeling that those eyes could see much, some things he'd rather not have them see. "I'm sorry about...her." Again, the girl declined to offer an explanation.  
  
Part of the gunslinger wanted to shout out- 'You do know, don't you. You know it all, you knew my Susan.' But his self-restraint was more than adequate. Instead, he let out a small sigh, the only clear sign that this vessel of a men still held emotion. "I made choice. I choose the tower, and now she's gone forever." With this thought, the lines of his face softened and years of age were wiped from his visage in a matter of second.  
  
A small smile flickered across her mouth. "No, Roland, she's not gone."  
  
The gunslinger's features hardened once more, but he couldn't hide the emotion in his voice. "What would you know about it?" His tone was sharp and defensive.  
  
The smile was there again, Susan's smile on this strangers face. Alyssa's melodic laugh came quiet and short. "She's here, Roland," She pressed a finer into the center of his breast bond, exerting pressure as if to push the words into him. There was no need for the gesture though, her eyes did a better job. "and there." Both the finger and the pair of eyes turned upward.  
  
All Roland could see was the swirling smoke vanishing into pitch black, but he knew what she meant. The Beam would, sure enough, be right there if there was light enough to see. "All paths lead to the tower. She guides you still gunslinger." The words were a whisper. Silence fell once more and two figures sat near a fire, staring up into the starless, moonless night. The moment was broken when Alyssa stood. Looking down upon him, she spoke one last time. "Sleep now, Roland. I shall keep watch."  
  
Suprisingly, Roland obeyed, putting his trust in someone he hardly know. 'Ka' he thought briefly before drifting off to sleep.  
  
He awoke last, the others already packing up camp. Susannah noticed him first and smiled in his direction. He attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes. It had been a long while since he had slept so deeply.  
  
"You haven't slept so well in a long time so we figured we'd let you be." The voice was that of Eddie Dean. "Hope you don't mind."  
  
Roland shook his head and stood, his stiff joints cracking and popping. Later, after a small breakfast and packing up the rest of their things, the ka-tet was ready to set out again. Within a few steps, Roland asked the question that had been on his mind since he had awoken. "Did any of you see the girl this morning?" He didn't expect and affirmative answer from any of them, but there was no harm in asking. What he didn't expect was the reaction he received. All exchanged confused glances until Susannah asked the question they all wondered about. "What girl, Roland?"  
  
Roland of Gilead chuckled. He actually laughed, his head shaking from side to side. "Must've been a dream," he answered. They continued on, Eddie and Susannah unnerved, but not completely unstatisfied, with his reaction. 'Ka', the gunslinger thought, pausing to look once more at the clouds above that indicated the path of the beam.  
  
-So...that's that. Just a little thing I thought of after reading Wizard and Glass. Reviews are always appreciated. 


End file.
